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1 – 10 of 12Chaohong Xie, Yeming Gong, Xianhao Xu, Chung-Yean Chiang and Qian Chen
This study investigates the impacts of return channel type on the relationships between return service quality (RSQ) and customer loyalty (CL) in an omnichannel retailing…
Abstract
Purpose
This study investigates the impacts of return channel type on the relationships between return service quality (RSQ) and customer loyalty (CL) in an omnichannel retailing environment.
Design/methodology/approach
Data comes from Chinese customers having a return experience in omnichannel retailing that uses the channel type of both buy-online-return-in-store (BORIS) and buy-in-store-return-to-online warehouses (BSROW). The authors use the structural equation modeling to test the hypotheses and the bootstrapping method to test the mediation and moderation effect.
Findings
For BORIS channel, satisfaction of customer returns (CRS) partially mediates the relationship between convenience and CL, and fully mediates that between CL and responsiveness, transparency and competence, respectively. For BSROW channel, CRS partially mediates the relationship between responsiveness and CL, and fully mediates that between CL and convenience, transparency and competence, respectively. The mediation effects indicate that omnichannel customers may feel more satisfied due to higher omnichannel fulfillment (responsiveness and convenience) and omnichannel trust (transparency and competence) provided by retailers. Return channel type moderates the relationship between RSQ-convenience and CL. The results show the different expectations between BORIS and BSROW customers in the return process.
Research limitations/implications
This paper serves as a pioneering study to apply cognition-affect-behavior paradigm into the field of return management in omnichannel retailing.
Practical implications
The findings suggest retailers develop their strategies on customer returns and post-sales service quality improvement in the omnichannel. Also, retailers should develop an integrated return system across channels to provide convenient service to BORIS customers and quick response to BSROW customers.
Originality/value
Studying return service management in the omnichannel from customer's cognition appraisal, this study contributes to the literature of the reverse service management by bringing in the effect of omnichannel type to explore the relationship between RSQ and CL.
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Keywords
Peiran Gao, Yeming Gong, Jinlong Zhang, Hongyi Mao and Shan Liu
The purpose of this paper is to explore the joint effects of different types of IT resources and top management support. Especially, the authors attempt to mainly examine a…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore the joint effects of different types of IT resources and top management support. Especially, the authors attempt to mainly examine a negative synergy or substitution relationship between IT infrastructure resources and CEO support, and a positive synergy or complementary relationship between IT human resources and CEO support among the large-sized enterprises.
Design/methodology/approach
A research model that integrates IT infrastructure resources, IT human resources, CEO support and the degree of usage of IT for business objectives (i.e. IT business spanning capability) is developed. Based on a sample of 112 large-sized enterprises, partial least squares is used to analyze the research model.
Findings
Whereas the positive moderating role of CEO support in the effectiveness of IT human resources is insignificant, CEO support and IT infrastructure resources have a substitution relationship in predicting IT business spanning capability. Furthermore, the results can explain under which conditions IT infrastructure resources insignificantly or significantly affect IT business spanning capability in large-sized enterprises. Specially, IT infrastructure resources significantly affect IT business spanning capability only when CEO support is low. Thus, in the presence of high CEO support, IT executives in large-sized enterprises should prioritize developing highly effective IT resources, such as IT human resources.
Originality/value
This paper highlights the joint effects of two critical IT resource types (i.e. IT infrastructure and IT human resources) and CEO support in the IT assimilation process among the large-sized enterprises, ultimately contributing to information systems theories and practices.
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Keywords
Hongyi Mao, Shan Liu and Yeming Gong
To achieve digital transformation, organizations have continued to rely on integrating the capabilities of information technology (IT) to facilitate decision-making and developing…
Abstract
Purpose
To achieve digital transformation, organizations have continued to rely on integrating the capabilities of information technology (IT) to facilitate decision-making and developing their reconfiguration capability to enhance agile operations. The pressure imposed by digital transformation necessitates investigations on leveraging different IT capabilities to attain substantial organizational agility in an optimal configuration. This study aims to provide a new perspective on balancing IT structural capabilities and proposes a framework for evaluating their coalignment and complementary returns based on resource orchestration theory.
Design/methodology/approach
A multi-method approach is used to evaluate the research model. This study tests hypotheses and explores the potential coalignment and complementary returns of balance in structural models and response surface analysis. Then, it analyzes the qualitative data and provides complementary findings to corroborate and confirm complex relationships.
Findings
Balanced structural IT capabilities facilitate organizational agility but cooperate differently with internal (e.g. IT proactive stance) and external (e.g. environmental volatility) environmental factors. Balance between IT integration and reconfiguration must be maintained from several approaches during search/selection and configuration/deployment.
Originality/value
This study theorizes and empirically investigates the interactive mechanisms of two IT capabilities in influencing organizational agility under different boundary conditions. It enriches the understanding of balancing capabilities for organizational agility in digital transformation.
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Keywords
Qian Chen, Yaobin Lu, Yeming Gong and Jie Xiong
This study investigates whether and how the service quality of artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots affects customer loyalty to an organization.
Abstract
Purpose
This study investigates whether and how the service quality of artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots affects customer loyalty to an organization.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on the sequential chain model of service quality loyalty, this study first classifies AI chatbot service quality into nine attributes and then develops a research model to explore the internal mechanism of how AI chatbot service quality affects customer loyalty. The analysis of survey data from 459 respondents provided insights into the interrelationships among AI chatbot service quality attributes, perceived value, cognitive and affective trust, satisfaction and customer loyalty.
Findings
The results show that AI chatbot service quality positively affects customer loyalty through perceived value, cognitive trust, affective trust and satisfaction.
Originality/value
This study captures the attributes of the service quality of AI chatbots and reveals the significant influence of service quality on customer loyalty. This study develops research on service quality in the information system (IS) field and extends the sequential chain model of quality loyalty to the context of AI services. The findings not only help an organization find a way to improve customers' perceived value, trust, satisfaction and loyalty but also provide guidance in the development, adoption, and post-adoption stages of AI chatbots.
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Keywords
Hongyi Mao, Yeming Gong and Ryad Titah
The system of information technology (IT)-oriented resources and processes that organizations need to develop to achieve operational agility remains unclear. The study research…
Abstract
Purpose
The system of information technology (IT)-oriented resources and processes that organizations need to develop to achieve operational agility remains unclear. The study research seeks to extend existing competency literature by incorporating the unique contextual nuances of the relationship between IT capabilities and operational agility.
Design/methodology/approach
Using a multi-method approach, this paper presents a theoretical framework of IT-enabled operations strategy that conceptualizes the role of IT capability in leveraging resources and processes for operational agility. Drawing on operations and information systems research, the authors advance that IT enables operational agility through two dimensions. From the perspective of a resource-based operations strategy, the authors explore the role of IT in resource-leveraging activities by investigating the nonlinear relationship between IT infrastructure and IT reconfiguration. From the perspective of a process-oriented operations strategy, the authors explore the role of IT in process-enhancing activities by investigating the nonlinear relationship between IT coordination and IT integration.
Findings
The study results, based on a sample of 113 organizations in Europe, Asia and North America, show that the interaction between IT infrastructure and IT reconfiguration positively influences operational agility, hence showing complementarity between the two constructs, while the interaction between IT coordination and IT integration negatively affects operational agility, hence indicating substitutability between the two constructs. A series of 62 interviews and a case study of Carrefour were further conducted to validate the field survey's results and to provide a finer grained explanation of the research model and quantitative findings.
Originality/value
The study findings offer an alternative explanation of the inconsistent relationship between IT capability and operational agility.
Details
Keywords
Shan Liu, Jing Tan, Hongyi Mao and Yeming Gong
With increasing globalization, supply chain management in various national cultures requires understanding. This study aims to examine the moderating effects of individualistic…
Abstract
Purpose
With increasing globalization, supply chain management in various national cultures requires understanding. This study aims to examine the moderating effects of individualistic and uncertainty avoidance cultures on the relationship between supply chain integration (SCI) and different dimensions of firm performance (i.e. flexibility and financial).
Design/methodology/approach
This study collected 124 pairwise survey data from supply chain and senior managers of retail firms in 35 countries. Hofstede’s national culture index was used to examine the moderating effects. Structural equation modeling and regression analysis were used to test the model.
Findings
Results corroborate that in a higher uncertainty avoidance culture, the positive influence of SCI on flexibility performance is stronger, but that on financial performance is weaker. By contrast, individualism reduces the positive influence of SCI on financial performance, but does not moderate that on flexibility performance.
Originality/value
This paper proposes a contingent model for SCI-performance relationships by integrating the relational view and the national cultural perspective. Critical national cultural dimensions moderate the effects of SCI on flexibility and financial performance. Therefore, operational managers should design differential SCI strategies in various cultural settings.
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Hongyi Mao, Shan Liu, Jinlong Zhang, Yajun Zhang and Yeming Gong
Scholars have examined the possible relationship between information technology (IT) and organizational agility. Although the general-level effect of IT is undisputed, empirical…
Abstract
Purpose
Scholars have examined the possible relationship between information technology (IT) and organizational agility. Although the general-level effect of IT is undisputed, empirical research on how different types of IT contribute to various aspects of organizational agility remains scarce. Therefore, this study aims to propose an integrated framework of internal capability and external environment to address this research gap.
Design/methodology/approach
This study investigates the potential mediating effects of absorptive capacity and the moderating effects of information intensity in the IT‒agility relationship. With a dataset comprising 165 organizations in China, this work provides empirical evidence that the effects of absorptive capacity and information intensity are multifaceted and nuanced, thereby revealing the latent mechanisms of IT competency and organizational agility.
Findings
Absorptive capacity partially mediates the effects of IT knowledge and IT operations on market capitalizing agility and fully mediates their effects on operational adjustment agility. However, no direct or indirect effects of IT objects are found on both types of organizational agility. Information intensity also positively moderates the effects of IT operations and IT objects on absorptive capacity. However, no significant moderation is found with regard to IT operations.
Originality/value
This study provides novel insights by demonstrating clearly the different mediating roles of absorptive capacity in the relationship among various types of IT competency and diverse aspects of organizational agility. This work also underscores the moderating role of information intensity in shaping absorptive capacity through IT competency.
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Keywords
Jifeng Ma, Yaobin Lu, Yeming Gong and Ran Li
The development of information technologies has fueled the emergence of online self-organizing teams that involve members with diverse backgrounds to work on a shared goal…
Abstract
Purpose
The development of information technologies has fueled the emergence of online self-organizing teams that involve members with diverse backgrounds to work on a shared goal voluntarily. However, the differences in members' attributes give rise to diversity. Therefore, the authors’ research is to figure out how diversity affects team performance in the context of online self-organizing teams and how this effect changes over team tenure.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors use a dynamic approach to the diversity-team performance relationship and collect a publicly longitudinal dataset on 3,970 collaborative items from 2,550 online self-organizing teams spanning nine years in an open innovation community of an online game.
Findings
The empirical results show that culture separation is negatively related to team performance, and this negative relationship weakens as team tenure increases. While skill variety and contribution disparity are positively related to team performance, and these positive relationships strengthen as team tenure increases.
Originality/value
The study provides a research framework to examine the relationship between diversity and team performance and explore how this relationship varies over team tenure in the context of online self-organizing teams. The results not only demonstrate the double-edged role of diversity in affecting the success of online self-organizing teams but also advance the understanding on the temporal effect of diversity on team performance.
Details
Keywords
Qian Chen, Yaobin Lu and Yeming Gong
Many service organizations use brand apps as an important mobile-end service channel and expect to increase brand app use through customer recommendations. The purpose of this…
Abstract
Purpose
Many service organizations use brand apps as an important mobile-end service channel and expect to increase brand app use through customer recommendations. The purpose of this paper is to explore the internal mechanism of brand app recommendation from the cross-channel perspective.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on value–satisfaction–loyalty (VSL) framework, this study examines how brand app’s unique cross-channel features influence customer recommendations, and the effect of involvement in the framework. The authors conduct a research survey in airline industry and questionnaires are developed and distributed to respondents who have experiences with air travel and have used the corresponding airlines’ brand apps. Finally, the authors collect 399 valid questionnaires to test the research model.
Findings
The results show that brand app usability mediates the relationship between offline service satisfaction and brand app satisfaction, which finally leads to brand app recommendation. Brand app usability and satisfaction significantly affect involvement, which also lead to brand app recommendation.
Originality/value
This study distinguishes the features of brand apps from those of ordinary apps and fills the research gap in the internal mechanism of app recommendation from the integrated cross-channel perspective. Besides, this study extends the VSL value in the context of brand app use. Based on the results, this study also provides the practical suggestions of enhancing offline service quality and brand app usability to increase brand app recommendation.
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Keywords
Peiran Gao, Jinlong Zhang, Yeming Gong and Haitao Li
The purpose of this research is to investigate how critical managerial IT capabilities, such as IT business spanning capability, interact with two pivotal types of technical IT…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this research is to investigate how critical managerial IT capabilities, such as IT business spanning capability, interact with two pivotal types of technical IT capabilities (i.e. IT flexibility and IT integration) to affect organizational agility. Especially, the authors mainly examine a positive synergy or complementary relationship between IT business spanning capability and IT flexibility and a negative synergy or substitution relationship between IT business spanning capability and IT integration.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors develop a research model that integrates IT flexibility, IT integration, IT business spanning capability and organizational agility. Based on a matched-pair, cross-sectional field survey of IT and business managers, they use partial least squares (PLS) to analyze this research model.
Findings
IT flexibility and IT integration have been empirically proven to be positively associated with organizational agility. Furthermore, the research results indicate a positive synergy or complementary relationship between IT business spanning capability and IT flexibility, whereas they indicate a negative synergy or substitution relationship between IT business spanning capability and IT integration with regard to organizational agility. This finding demonstrates that IT business spanning capability can differentially influence organizational agility depending on its interaction with specific technical IT capability types. In addition, the effects of IT flexibility on organizational agility are high, whereas the effectiveness of IT integration decreases in the presence of high IT business spanning capability. Each type of technical IT capability displays different effectiveness under high IT business spanning capability. Thus, appropriate technical IT capability types should be carefully deployed, and highly effective technical IT capability types, such as IT flexibility, should be prioritized under high levels of IT business spanning capability.
Originality/value
This research highlights the joint effects of IT business spanning capability and two pivotal types of technical IT capabilities (i.e. IT flexibility and IT integration) on organizational agility, ultimately contributing to OM theories and practices.
Details